The One I Desire : Story 2 : Purely Platonic
by Robbiespeedyslasher
Summary: This is the second story in my series The One I Desire. Roy thinks back on some of his and Dick's history. Slash paring Dick Roy. No sex.


**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story. Wish I did.**

**Author Note:**

**(a) My series now officially has a name -- "The One I Desire"**

**(b) Thank you Angela for reading and sending a review of my first slash story. **

**(c) Summary: Story two helps to fill in some more history between Dick and Roy.**

**(d) Warning: This one is a little gushy. Sorry. :)**

**(e) Pairing - Dick/Roy. No graphic sex... Just an exploration of slash feelings. If you don't like slash, please don't read. If you do, I'd love feedback.**

**(f) I don't have a beta so please forgive all errors.**

_Story 2 in "The One I Desire" series_

Purely Platonic 

3:30 am. Roy glanced across at Sharon and sighed long and deep. She was pretty and damn good in bed, but she was a substitute, which was okay because he filled the same role for her. Both were in love with other people, but enjoyed the physical pleasures of a good rumble in bed with no strings attached.

In the limited light of the room, Roy's eyes fell on a framed photograph. Silently he rose, walked across to the dresser and picked it up. "Hey, Robbie. So what are you doing tonight?" he whispered. Tonight, his desire was getting the better of him. Most of the time, he could put it aside, but right now, he longed to be holding the man he loved.

Roy smiled at the image of himself with Dick and memories of day it was taken filled his heart.

_Flashback_

(Set when Roy's 20 and Dick's 19... one year after Roy tells Dick of his feelings.)

_Titan Tower_

_Roy didn't understand it. He'd seen it so many times. Dick would sit down on the couch in the common room and Donna would sit beside him. She would touch his face, run her fingers though this thick dark locks, kiss him on the cheek, and lay against him... and no one batted an eyelid. _

_Roy had watched Dick fall asleep in a chair and seen Donna snuggle up against him while watching television... and no one said anything. _

_If Kory or Raven had done that... or any other female for that matter... everyone would have started talking. Yet, all accepted that Donna and Dick shared a purely platonic relationship. They were like brother and sister. There wasn't anything sexual about Donna's kisses or roving hands. She was simply expressing her love for Dick, but she wasn't 'in' love with him. There lay the difference. _

_Roy's feelings for Dick were supposed to be purely platonic too. Yet, if he was to run his fingers through Dick's hair, kiss him or 'snuggle up'... Roy sighed. One of the others would probably have him taken off to the vet for rabies shots. Dick knew though. Roy had told him eight months earlier and his best friend had shown surprise, but understanding. Grayson didn't return Harper's feelings, but Dick accepted them. He didn't shy away from Roy or tell him to stay away... and Roy loved him all the more for it._

_Harper wasn't actually one of the team any more. He was a guest at Titan Tower. The new members of the Titans -- Gar, Vic, Raven, and Kory - accepted that he had once been a Teen Titan, but he was still a stranger... an outsider and they treated him as such. Roy would have felt really out of place tonight, except that Donna had insisted that he come for the weekend, adding, "We all really miss you... especially Dick." That had been enough._

_When Harper had arrived an hour earlier, he'd been welcomed warmly. Of course, the only warm welcome he was really interested in was Dick's. It had been over a month since they'd seen each other, both having been emersed in work. Roy hadn't been disappointed by Dick's reaction. The smile on his friend's face had lit the room._

_"Speedy! No one told me you were coming!" Dick had crash tackled his best friend and the pair had ended up wrestling on the ground... in a purely platonic way. And that was where Roy found himself - rolling on the floor with the man he loved, bemoaning the fact that he should be entitled to the same 'platonic' rights as Donna. _

_"Get a room you two," Wally laughed. _

"_You're acting like children," Donna laughed. She'd noticed that these days, Dick only let his guard truly drop when Roy visited. Then Dick's smiles were unreserved. He did silly things like wrestle on the floor. He actually relaxed._

_Dick rolled to his feet and pulled Roy up. "It's good to see you, Speedy."_

_Harper frowned. "You look tired, Dick." Actually, he looked dreadful. _

_"Same old trouble," his best friend dismissed, draping his arm over Roy's shoulders. _

_Roy drew in a deep breath and set about controlling his physical reaction to Dick's closeness. God, it felt good. Roy drank it in and savoured it, for such moments were rare these days. _

_"Vic and Gar have rented some B grade horror movies. They look like absolute crap. You'll love them," Dick finished smirking. Roy found himself smiling back, lost in the depth of the very tired, but happy blue eyes staring back at him. _

"_I've missed..." Roy stopped himself, shifted his gaze to the others who were watching and finished, "...all of you."_

"_You know you can visit whenever you want," Wally stated, grabbing a handful of peanuts and shoving them into his mouth. Wally wasn't a regular member of the Titans any more either, but he always seemed to be at the Tower._

"_You will always be one of us," Garth stated sincerely, wandering across to one of the sofas and sprawling onto it. He, too, wasn't officially a member._

"_Thanks." Roy returned his attention to Dick. "You look tired."_

"_We did that before," Dick chuckled, dropping his arm. In that split second, the happy-go-lucky person disappeared to be replaced by the more reserved man Dick had become. "I just want to check the sensors and then I'll join you. Roy, make yourself comfortable." _

_Roy watched Dick go and noted the whispers from the other members of the New Titans._

_"Insomnia?" Roy asked Wally._

_The speedster nodded. "We don't think he's slept more than a couple of hours in ten days. We've had no success getting him to sleep in the last two nights. He's just been so preoccupied and busy. Tonight we think we've got it right. All's quiet on the western front. We've got a couple of boring movies. You're here. Fingers crossed."_

_Roy raised an eyebrow. "I'm here?"_

_Donna winked. "You bring out the very worst in him, Roy... a side of Dick we never see any more."_

_"He'll crash soon," Gar offered with some authority. He'd only seen it happen once, but as far as Gar was concerned, that made him an expert_

_"We've set this evening up so he'll relax," Kory explained to Roy. Harper's jaw tightened. Did she think she needed to explain this to him? _

_"When he gets like this, he'll only sleep if he is completely relaxed," Raven added._

_Roy suppressed the urge to tell these people that he knew Dick better than any of them could hope to and had lived through this hell with his best friend for years._

_Donna patted his shoulder to calm him. "They don't mean any harm," she whispered._

_"We'll have a SUDFA alert for sure, tonight," Wally commented, winking at Roy and handing him a can of beer._

_SUDFA was a technical term. It was an alert all Titans, apart from their esteemed leader, knew and heeded. When a SUDFA alert was called, everyone froze. _

No one _moved. No one._

_No one spoke. _

_It was literally a matter of life and death, for if they moved, spoke, distracted or did anything else, Troia would kill them._

_A SUDFA could last anything from five minutes to an hour. _

_At the conclusion of a SUDFA the 'all clear' was called by Donna. Then, everyone could move, as long as they kept the noise down._

_SUDFA - Shut Up, Dick's Falling Asleep - was an acronym Roy had invented many years before, when he'd been Speedy, and life had been wonderful... a time when he and his four best friends had taken on the world. However, at the age of fourteen, Dick had developed insomnia. The dreadful bouts were cruel and crippling and so his friends had made it their personal quest to 'cure' him. Of course, a cure wasn't available, but they were able to develop a strategy to maximize Dick's chances of falling asleep naturally. _

_Once, Dick had ended up in hospital on the point of collapse. That was when Garth, Donna, Wally and Roy had made a secret pact - they would always be there when the insomnia hit. It was a pact that still held firm today, but one Dick knew nothing about. Every time Grayson's insomnia set in, one, or more of them, took it upon themselves to deal with it. They would not allow him to reach a point where hospitalisation was his only recourse._

_Thankfully, the insomnia hit less than half a dozen times a year. The young Teen Titans had discovered through trial and error that the only two things that would break the insomnia were time and setting. When Robin's exhaustion reached the point of no return and if he was placed in a position of complete safety, his body could take over and override his brain. The period of time when he was falling asleep was the key. If he was disturbed in these critical moments, then sleep would escape him... sometimes for another couple of days. Hence the birth of a SUFDA alert._

_When any of his friends identified the fundamental elements of on coming sleep, the alert was called. All would stop and wait, watching as Dick's eyes fluttered and his head lolled. Sometimes it happened quickly. More often than not, Grayson's mind would unconsciously fight it, determined not to give in. Dick didn't give in to anyone or anything... not even to himself. It was one of his greatest strengths, but in this case, a weakness. That was Bat-training for you. _

_The Teen Titans had learned exactly what to watch for -- from the darkening bags under Dick's eyes, to the critical period... those moments when Dick was actually 'falling' asleep. It was like watching an exhausted toddler determined not to sleep, but overpowered by the basic innate will of the body. When Dick's exhausted body reached this stage, his brain actually set about shutting down all non-essential functions so that the rest his body physically needed, was achieved. _

_Ensuring that Dick fell asleep somewhere comfortable wasn't always easy, but was essential because attempting to move him once he was asleep was risky. Grayson was a light sleeper and if he awoke, they'd find themselves back to square one. However, the original Teen Titans... in particular, Donna, had refined the entire SUDFA practice down to a fine art. _

_(a) Monitor the depth of the dark rings under Dick's eyes and set the plan in motion when they started turning from light to dark grey... something that had happened two days earlier but all attempts to pin Dick down to rest had been unsuccessful._

_(b) Set the scene -- as they had tonight. This meant removing all stressful issues and organising a night of quiet fun when Dick could relax in safety, knowing someone he trusted completely was there to watch over him when he gave in to his body's need for rest._

_(c) Wait and watch for signs of blinking. At the first indication, call a SUDFA alert. Cease all noise and distractions. _

_(d) Watch for the lolling of Dick's head and then very gently, manoeuvre him into a comfortable position. Failure to do so meant he'd wake quickly or with back ache._

_(e) Continue with silence until the depth of Grayson's breathing changed indicating he was asleep._

_(f) Wait for Donna to call the all clear_

_(g) Very, very quietly, celebrate victory._

_Two to four hours of really deep sleep would follow and this usually broke the cycle allowing Dick to sleep normally for a couple of months before the next bout of insomnia set in._

_"Dick doesn't know anything about SUFDA alerts," Gar giggled. "It's a bit of a secret. If he thought we had a planned strategy for getting him to sleep like this, he'd freak. Do you know what we mean when we..."_

_"Yeah, he does, Gar," Garth interrupted, flashing Roy a silent apology. They'd had to let the newer members of the Titans in on the secret, though Garth sensed they didn't truly understand how serious it all was._

_OO_

_Roy was intrigued by the reactions of the other members of the group when Dick reappeared. What was it about the dark haired young man that gave him such presence?_

_Donna was predictable. She fussed about him like a mother hen, getting him a beer and trying to get him to eat something. Wally and Garth simply exchanged knowing, but concerned looks. Dick really did look dreadful. He'd never gone this long without sleep. Vic and Gar unsuccessfully tried to look interested in other things as Grayson reappeared. Kory watched him with wide eyes, doing nothing to hide her feelings for the dark haired hero. Even Raven's emotionless face lit as Dick walked into the room. _

_"Sorry everyone." Grayson paused, staring at each of them in turn. "What?" he asked. He was the centre of attention and didn't understand why._

"_Get a move on will you, Robbie. We can't start the movie until you sit down," Roy jumped in._

_Dick flicked his eyes to Roy and then back to the others. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you guys were up to something."_

"_We are, sweetie. We want you to relax so you can get some sleep tonight," Donna stated, gently. "Go and sit down."_

_Dick grimaced self-consciously. "Look, I appreciate..."_

"_Sit down already," Roy snapped._

_Dick shot Roy a glare which he couldn't maintain when Roy mimicked it. Dick snorted with happy disgust, made his way to one of the six triple seater sofas set out in a semi-circle around the large screen TV._

_Roy, who was still leaning against the bar across the room, studied the dark shadows under his best friend's blue eyes and shook his head. It was bad this time. Worse than he could remember. They needed to get Dick to sleep tonight._

_Roy glanced at Donna. He knew she would shift and take up her position beside Dick. She always did. Before Roy knew what he was doing, he was striding across the room and had plonked down on the sofa in 'Donna's' spot. It hadn't actually been a conscious decision, it was just... _

_Donna frowned a little, but Roy feigned confusion as their eyes came together. _

_The woman shook her head with annoyance, and took a seat on in the closest other chair. Everyone found a spot draped on chairs or sprawled on bean bags and Wally switched on the movie._

"_So, how are things going with the government?" Dick asked Roy. _

"_Yeah, okay. They're keeping me busy. I'm also working on a new drug programme to help kids who get hooked on drugs."_

_Dick smiled. "That's great."_

"_Kids on drugs only tend listen to someone with first hand experience... and that's something I have. So, what about you?"_

"_Man, will you two shut up. The movie's starting," Wally complained. His eyes connected with Roy's. They wanted Dick to fall asleep and that wasn't going to happen if Roy sat there chundering away with him._

"_Get a grip, twinkle toes. They're still rolling the credits," Roy grumbled. _

_Fifteen minutes of the worst movie Roy had ever seen rolled by. Dick was sitting forward, unable to get comfortable. His left elbow was resting on his knee, his right hand hanging at his side gripping a beer. _

_Donna was bristling. If she'd been sitting beside Dick, she'd simply have pulled him back so he would relax. Just as she was about to say something, Dick drew in a deeper breath and released it. He blinked very slowly. Donna waited. Dick blinked again, staring emptily at the screen. His heavy eyelids slid down, but pushed up immediately. His chin dipped a little, but he raised it. _

"_SUDFA," the woman whispered. The other Titans glanced over at their leader. Wally turned the movie volume down a little. _

_Dick's head lolled a second time, but it bounced back. He was fighting it. He always did._

"_The can," Donna mouthed to Roy watching it staring to slip from Dick's grip. Roy sat forward and eased the half full can of beer from Dick's fingers. Dick turned to Roy, but Harper just patted his back and placed the can down on the ground. Dick's blinking increased._

_Donna licked her lips, leant forward and started to stand. The movement caught Dick's attention, his hooded eyes opened fully and he glanced in her direction. Donna smiled and shifted in her chair. _

_Grayson focused back on the screen. Troia, shot Roy a meaningful look. 'You're going to have to lay him down', she mouthed. Normally, she would because she was right next to him, but today, Roy was the only one in a position to do it. Easing Dick from vertical to horizontal wasn't easy to do without waking him. If Donna tried to get up, Dick would most certainly be disturbed again - which left Roy. If they left Dick as he was, he'd likely topple out of the chair when he fell asleep._

_For a second time, Dick's eyelids grew heavy and began to flutter. Roy shifted slightly and reached out for his friend, but Donna shook her head. _

"_Not yet," she whispered. She watched, waiting for Dick's head to start nodding. As his chin dipped for a third time, she signalled to Roy. Harper slid his right arm around Dick's back and took his shoulder in the left hand. _

"_Gently," Troia encouraged, holding her breath._

_Roy guided Dick straight back, but at the last minute Dick's body angled slightly, Grayson coming to rest against Harper's shoulder rather than the sofa._

_Donna's eyes grew wide. _

_Wally grinned. "Way to go, bowhead."_

_The others all stifled chuckles._

_Dick took a deeper breath and his eyes fluttered open which silenced everyone._

_Donna was shaking her head. Any minute now Dick would realize he was leaning up against Roy. He didn't, however. Rather, his eyes closed. "You need to lay him down so he can sleep comfortably. You're going to have to tip him back the other way," Donna insisted in a voiceless whisper._

_If the situation was so serious, it would be hilarious. _

_Roy nodded. He started to move Dick, but Grayson's eyes opened. Everyone held their breath again. Thankfully, Dick's eyelids sank almost immediately and his head dropped completely. _

"_Yes," Donna whispered. _

_"He's out," Garth sighed with relief._

_Grayson started to slide... off Roy's shoulder and across his chest. Roy caught him. _

_Wally's hands came up to cover his mouth to stop himself from laughing out aloud. _

_Donna's mouth opened and then closed. Very slowly, she rose from her chair and crept across to Roy. Everyone else in the room watched on tender hooks._

"_Well, this is fine mess, Speedy," Donna whispered, though she was grinning. _

_Roy looked up at her in complete innocence. The truth was, he'd purposely pulled Dick toward him, rather than away. He didn't want to ruin Dick's chance of sleep, but... was it wrong to steal these few seconds with Dick snuggled up against him?_

"_I don't know what we're going to do. If we try to take him back the other way..."_

"_He'll wake up for sure," Wally agreed, now standing beside Donna._

"_You can't leave them like that," Kory stated, in a hushed voice. Dick was just hanging there, diagonally across the front of Roy, his head hanging forward, Roy's arm wrapped around his chest to stop from sliding down onto his lap._

"_Maybe we can..." Donna paused and started giggling. It was just too funny. _

"_Do you mind?" Roy asked. _

"_I'm sorry. God, Speedy, only you," she giggled. _

"_We'll have to wake him," Garth stated with concern. If they did, experience said their chance would be lost. "We'll have to wait until tomorrow night."_

"_No," Roy argued. "If I have to, I'll just hold him like this. He can't go another day without sleep. He looks like death warmed up as it is."_

"_Between us we could turn him onto his back and slide him down onto you lap," Donna mused. "Then you can wriggle out from under him," She nodded to Wally. "Ready? And take it slowly. If he wakes up now... Roy's right. He can't go another day without sleep."_

_Donna gripped Dick's shoulders and Wally reached for his waist while Roy still supported Dick's weight with his arms around his chest. _

"_First, twist him onto his back, then lower him onto Roy's lap. Then you wriggle out from under him, Speedy. One... two... three," Donna whispered._

_They lifted only an inch and started to twist so that Dick's back was facing down, but Grayson stirred. All froze. Dick mumbled something. _

"_Let him go," Roy ordered. Donna and Wally did so and stepped back. The situation hadn't improved._

_Garfield Logan stood up and left the room, his laughter filtering from the hall. _

_Dick's back was no longer leaning against Roy's chest. His body was now across Roy's lap, his head resting against his best friend's shoulder... Roy was literally cradling Dick in his arms. _

_Donna covered her mouth with one of her hands. Wally struggled not to laugh out aloud. Kory and Raven both were open mouthed and Vic and Garth were wearing amused smirks._

"_Oh, Roy. Only you could get yourself into a mess like this."_

_Dick mumbled something as he fought against the sleep trying to overwhelm him. He started to twitch. Donna reached out and slowly ran her fingers through his hair. "Shhh, sweetie," she murmured. "Shhhh." Dick became still. _

"_Just leave, him," Roy whispered. "Let him settle and we'll try again in a few minutes." Realizing they had no other choice, Wally and Donna went back to their seats. _

_Gar reappeared with a camera and snapped a photo._

"_Oh, man," he laughed, careful to keep his voice down. "Wait till the Wingster sees that. I'll be able to.."_

_His voice faded. Donna, Wally, Roy and Garth's faces had just turned lethal. _

"_What?" Garfield mouthed._

"_You do understand the importance of what's going on here don't you?" Garth asked._

"_You do understand that if Dick thought for one moment he couldn't trust us, we'd loose the only method we have to combat his insomnia?" Donna stated firmly._

"_You do understand, that if we don't get him to sleep tonight, he'll physically collapse and end up in hospital," Roy added. _

"_You do understand that if you show him that picture, I'll ram the camera down your throat?" Wally growled._

_Gar swallowed and placed the digital camera on the table in the middle of the room as if it were radio-active. "I was just... sorry." They were serious. They meant every word. "I didn't mean to... but you were laughing too."_

_Yes, the sight of Roy getting tangled up under Dick was amusing, but Gar had spoken of using Dick's vulnerability for amusement. That made Grayson's four self-appointed guardians fume._

"_I think the rest of you better go to bed," Donna ordered. She suddenly found herself feeling very defensive and regretting ever letting them into their confidence on this matter. The four new members of the Titans didn't argue and disappeared._

_Roy dropped his eyes to Dick's face. He'd hold him until the end of time, if he needed to. Grayson didn't look completely relaxed and while there was bags under his eyes, was he was still beautiful. So perfect. Tanned skin, even if it was a little pale tonight. Full lips. Roy drew Dick in more firmly against him, feeling every curve of Grayson's amazing body. Lost in thought, staring down at the man he desired, Harper didn't notice that Wally and Donna had appeared in front of him._

"_How's he doing?"_

"_Yeah, okay."_

_Donna listened. Dick's breathing wasn't as deep as she would have liked. "He still hasn't hit deep sleep. How are your arms?"_

"_Fine."_

"_Let's give it a go," Wally suggested. _

_They successfully got Dick down flat and Roy started to slide out, but Grayson stirred, his eyes blinking open. Roy, Wally and Donna froze. _

"_Roy?" Dick mumbled. _

"_Go back to sleep, Robbie," Roy whispered, placing his hand on the crown of Dick's head. "I've got your back." Dick's chest heaved, his chin bobbed his understanding and his eyes shut. _

_Wally started breathing again. "Wow. That was close."_

"_You better not move, Roy" Donna decided. "I think we've pushed our luck far enough." Dick's head was now resting against Roy's right thigh. "He usually only sleeps for two hours so by the time the second movie finishes, he'll probably be awake," she added. Dick was at least laying flat now. "Are you okay with this?" Donna checked._

_Roy nodded and patted the top of Dick's head. "My hero."_

_Dick shifted, making himself more comfortable._

_Donna smirked. "I'll tell him you said that."_

_When the second movie finished, Dick was still sound asleep. Roy rejected offers to help him slide out from under his best friend's head. _

"_Nahh. Let him sleep. It's already been two hours. He'll wake up within the next half hour or so. Just leave the TV on. I'm not tired anyway."_

_The others went to bed. Donna was the last to leave. She blew Roy a kiss and turned off the light, the glow of the television all that was left to illuminate the room._

_Roy waited a few moments, listening as the Tower became silent. Only then, did he look down on Dick. Grayson's face was completely relaxed. His dark hair rested on Roy's jeans, several stray locks falling over his forehead. The blue T-shirt he wore contoured perfectly to his well muscled chest. Roy ran his fingers through Dick's hair, enjoying the feeling. Now he knew why Donna did it so often. He lifted his other hand and laid it in the middle of Dick's chest, feeling it rise and fall rhythmically. There was a stirring in Roy. He had dreamed of this so many times - dreamed of a few stolen moments when he could caress Dick the way he longed to. _

_Roy's hand moved down Dick's shirt and his fingers searched under it until they found skin. Then, Roy ran the palm up over Dick's chest underneath, while still drawing his other hand through Dick's hair. Harper smiled down at the man he loved, leaned forward and his lips brushed Grayson's forehead. It was only a feather of a kiss, so much less that he wanted... but more than he dared. With a contented sigh, Roy let his head fall back against the chair. Closing his eyes, he let his thoughts wonder as his hands caressed Dick._

_The next thing Roy knew, he was waking up. "Shhh," Donna cautioned. Light from the hall lit the room in a dim glow. She pushed one of the other chairs closer and then took Roy's legs and lifted them up onto it. "That should help to ease the weight on your back," she offered._

_Roy blinked and then looked down. Dick was now on his side, his head still resting on Roy's right thigh. A blanket was draped over him. "He's slept almost five and half hours," Donna whispered._

"_Really?" _

_Donna sat down on the arm rest next to Roy. "He must have been on the point of collapse. I think we got him just in time. Thanks for coming. When he gets really bad like this... You being here really helped. He relaxed the moment he saw you. I knew he would."_

_Roy rested his hand on Dick's shoulder. "He's one crazy wacked up, bastard. What's got him all worked up at the moment?"_

"_What else?" Donna asked in a hushed voice._

_Roy shook his head. Batman had a lot to answer for. "Anything specific?"_

"_Not that I know of. You comfortable enough?"_

"_Yeah. Thanks."_

_Donna smiled, kissed Roy on the forehead and rose. "I wonder..."_

"_What?"_

"_Normally he stirs and wakes up after only a couple of hours. Obviously he's stirred a couple of times and moved himself, but he didn't wake up."_

"_Mmmm," Roy agreed. "When he gets to this point, he needs to know someone is there to watch his back so he can rest."_

_Normally the Titans would leave Dick so that he wasn't disturbed. Perhaps that had been a mistake. "One of us needs to stay with him so that when he stirs he sees that he's not alone, " Donna realized. "You sure you're okay?"_

"_Yeah. I'll see you in the morning."_

_Donna left and Roy patted Dick's shoulder. "Maybe it's just because I'm here," he whispered hopefully._

_OO_

_Morning arrived and Dick and Roy awoke at the same time -- long before the rest of the household. Grayson blinked groggily up at Roy._

"_Good mornin', good lookin' ," Harper chirped._

_Dick's brow furrowed. _

"_You fell asleep and I wasn't game to move in case I woke you," Roy explained. He waited for Dick to leap to his feet, but Grayson didn't. _

"_Sorry. I hadn't slept for almost two weeks. How long?"_

_Roy squinted at the clock across the room. "About seven hours."_

_Dick's eyes widened. "You're kidding." Slowly he sat up and stretched. "Do you want some breakfast?"_

_Roy was stunned. There was no comment from Dick on the fact that he'd had just slept the night with his head resting against Harper. Dick didn't even seem to be aware of it... or was and didn't see anything significant about it. How did that work?_

"_Roy?"_

"_Yeah, breakfast would be good. I've really missed you," he admitted._

_Dick smiled easily and patted Roy's arm. "Well, technically we slept together last night."_

_Roy winked. "My motives were completely pure... and as for my thoughts..."_

"_Yeah, I'll bet. So, what do you want?"_

"_Are we talking about breakfast now or are you asking what I'd like you to do to thank me for my kindness? Because I can think of a way," he finished, bouncing his eyebrows._

_Dick laughed and rose to his feet. "Come on, bowhead, you can help."_

"_I'll be with you in a minute."_

_Dick started for the door, but paused. He glanced back at Roy, his bottom lip rolling in as he bit down onto it._

"_Robbie?"_

"_You sat up all night with me?" Dick's soft blue eyes flashed sincere gratitude. _

"_Nahh. I slept most of it. I just didn't want to move and disturb you."_

"_Thanks." There it was again. That look. Vulnerability. Dick rarely showed it, but every time he did, Roy melted. He wanted to get up and wrap his arms around Dick... promise him that he wouldn't let anyone hurt him. A strange promise to make to someone who was probably among the five most capable people on the planet._

"_Considering what I owe you, it was drop in the ocean. Besides, when have we ever had to thank each other for being there."_

_Dick smiled, his love for Roy shinning from his face. Unfortunately, it wasn't the type of love Roy longed for from the man he desired._

_Harper watched Grayson disappear into the kitchen and then he rose and collected the camera Gar had left on the table. Quickly Roy opened it, removed the memory card and slipped it into his pocket. He wanted that photo._

_OO_

Roy smiled at the photograph as the memory faded, his thumb rubbing the glass over Dick's cheek. "I love you," he confessed. The clock on the wall proudly advertised four a.m. which meant Dick should have just got in from his evening patrol in Bludhaven. Harper left the bedroom, sat down in the lounge and took out his cell phone.

The phone rang... and rang... and rang. Roy was just about to give up, when Dick's voice responded. "Hey, Speedy."

"How did you know it was me?"

"You're the only person who rings me at 4:00 a.m."

"Oh. What took you so long to answer?"

"I've just got out of the shower. Just a minute, I'm putting you on speaker phone so I can get dressed."

The smile on Roy's face broadened as his mind filled with an image of Dick naked and dripping wet.

"Too much information, Robbie," Roy laughed.

"Get a grip, Harper. So, what's up?"

"Nothing. I was just... thinking about you."

"Oh." For a few moments there was silence.

"What are you doing this weekend?" Roy asked.

"Nothing much. What have you got in mind? We could call Wally, Garth and Donna and do some mountain climbing out at Benson Falls."

Roy nodded. "Sounds good. Are you still coming to the party tonight?"

"Yep. I may have to leave a little early, but I'll be there."

"So, did you track down that counterfeiter you were after?"

"Yep, I got him. He was..." Dick continued to chat and Roy listened, his gaze on the photo of him cradling the man he loved in his arms.

How he wished for another 'purely platonic' moment like that.

END

Series will continue in Story 3


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